I am an apartment owner/investor and want to let other apartment owners know about my experience…read morewith Reverence Engineering. Last year, I obtained an inspection of the deck and balcony at my family's 10 unit apartment complex in order to comply with Senate Bill 721. After learning that our cantilevered balcony needed structural work, I began calling engineering firms. I chose Reverence Engineering because I wanted to work with a smaller firm and I was impressed with my initial call with principal engineer Brett Sauers. During that conversation, he explained in simple terms how he would approach creating plans and seeking permits for a major retrofit of our balcony walkway. From there, I was kept well informed by email at every step of the way. Because I live out of state and was not able to be present for any site visits, Brett prepared an explanatory video for me so that I could see exactly what he was seeing and understand how we could solve the structural challenges. The draft plans were ready more quickly than I expected and Brett personally addressed all my questions with patience and precision. The City took longer than I had hoped to do its plan review, but Brett's staff sent me weekly updates. In addition, they walked me through all the forms that I needed to sign so it ended up being a pain-free process from start to finish. I really couldn't be happier with the attentiveness of Brett and his team, as well as the outcome. They deserve accolades for exceptional structural engineering work, at a very reasonable cost.

I submitted a request to Reverence for an Architect in early January 2026, I received a call back…read morefrom Brett to go over the services Reverence provides and their approach to support the clients. At the end of the call, Brett stated he would work on the contract and send over for review. The following week, I called Reverence to better understand the timeline for contract creation so I could maintain realistic expectations; I was told I should have the contract that day (January 13) or the following day (January 14). I contacted Reverence on January 20, after not receiving a response and was advised a message would be sent to Brett for an update. I again did not receive a response (no callback nor email) and contacted Reverence on January 22 and again on February 2, and was provided a similar response (that I should receive the contract soon if not today or the next). I subsequently left a message on February 4, indicating that I no longer wished to proceed with their services and would look elsewhere. I have no doubt that Reverence provides customers with solid service once contracted, however, I find it is equally important to effectively communicate with prospective clients to ensure transparency. I would have gladly waited a few more weeks if that was the standard and was communicated to me. Hopefully future clients will have a better experience.

Omar and Katherine are the best! They are so professional, knowledgeable and detail oriented. Their…read morecost and time estimates were right on so there were no surprises. I highly recommend them and would definitely use them again!

AMAZING!!! First let me say this is long past due. Katherine…read moreand Omar are a dream team! They have done two amazing projects for us. In 2015 they built us a $10,000sq ft commercial kitchen and office, and in 2018 a beautiful event venue on Harbor Island with a full kitchen and all the finishing touches. Every step is easy and handled with the upmost professionalism, even their subs are wonderful. They have an extensive knowledge of food service design, construction and all the do's and don'ts when it comes to the permits. You be thrilled if you select this team to design your dream.

The owner Dhurgham Aljbuoori is an completely liar. He took my first installment payment $2000 and…read morethen ran away. He never responded to my request again.

We worked with Dhurgham on our ADU renovation. He was absolute pleasure to work with and I can not…read morerecommend him more highly. We had to work through multiple steps to acquire the Encinitas building permit. I was so impressed with his diligence, thoroughness and responsiveness. Trust me when I say that the permitting process felt onerous and irrational but Dhurgham navigated it like a champ! I can't be more thankful.

I needed a site plan for a tiny house on wheels permit and was referred to Miller Design and…read moreDrafting by an engineering company I had contacted. What started as a simple site plan quickly turned into a full set of construction documents--and I couldn't be happier with how everything turned out. After being quoted an outrageously high price by another designer, I was relieved to find Alexandra. Her prices are very reasonable, communication is clear and responsive, and the quality of her work is top-notch. In less than two months, I have a building permit in hand. I handled the permit processing myself, and Alexandra was incredibly patient and helpful throughout the process. I had a lot of questions since this was my first time pulling a building permit, and she answered them all with care. Highly recommend Miller Design and Drafting if you're looking for someone skilled, fair, and easy to work with.

i called for basic drafting drawings for a bathroom remodel. Owner said they were to busy to help…read more Although she was very nice, she had no one to refer me too.

We bought a cool mid-century modern house that was full of bad 1980s updates, so we wanted to hire…read morean architect to help us turn it into our dream home. Although there was plenty of room in the house for two of us, the space was not well-planned. We were feeling overwhelmed by what needed to be done in our new home, and hiring Ken to design our interior was easily the best decision that we made. He took the time to get to know us and we felt he really understood our needs and how we would use each area of our home. There were many design challenges and Ken's out of the box thinking both met those challenges and improved the space. He was very easy to work with and his calm energy was a perfect fit for us. We knew from the plans that our house would be spectacular when finished, and it definitely exceeded those expectations. Everything about the house is improved, and there are a couple of the design elements that consistently draw an amazed response from visitors to our home.

Setting a goal to build an ADU was both scary and exciting, since I have had terrible experiences…read morewith construction professionals in past projects. I knew I needed someone, who was knowledgeable about local ADU laws and the nuance in the construction process to help us make this dream come true. After interviewing different companies, we ended up hiring Ken and his team at One World Architecture. Ken and his team's professionalism was second to none. They were quick to respond whenever I have inquiries. Ken understands the process is scary for homeowners, and never made us feel that our concerns weren't important, no matter how insignificant they were. He was not only our architect, but he was also our therapist during this process. He listened to our needs, provided ideas we never even considered, and set up multiple meeting until we found the right contractor. He didn't just design and let us fend for ourselves. He was proud of his work and guide us though the completion of the project. I now have a beautiful home office, a place for my elder parents to live in and an opportunity to supplement my retirement income many years down the road. I'd recommend One World Architecture wholeheartedly. In fact, I had so much joy working with Ken, I would personally vouch for him to work on any of my families' and friends' projects. I know they will be taken care of!

I hired Rummy from IL Total Design for a major three-story remodel permit that included adding…read moresignificant square footage, and she exceeded expectations in every way! This was not a simple cosmetic project -- it was a complex build with structural changes, multiple levels, and a lot of moving parts in a coastal zone. Throughout the process, Rummy was incredibly resilient. Whenever challenges came up (and with a project this size, they always do), she stayed solution-oriented and kept the project moving forward without hesitation. She was also extremely responsive. Calls were returned, questions were answered quickly, and updates were consistent. I never had to chase her down ever! Communication was clear and direct, which makes a huge difference on a large remodel. What stands out most is her "get it done" mentality. She doesn't give up no matter what the city says -- takes ownership and executes. She handled everything with professionalism and confidence. If you're looking for an architect/design team that is dependable, responsive, resilient, and truly delivers results -- IL Total Design is the perfect choice!

I met Rummy Dechner, owner and lead architect with IL Total, via a design/build firm last year for…read morean ADU project. Eventually, I fired the firm (read my other review), but Rummy stayed with us to help us move forward. Without a city approved design we already sunk $25k into (most of which she probably didn't make) we depended on her almost daily for the first few months after the mess with not one but a second builders as well. We were going solo through the toughest part of the ADU process. I mean we really, really depended on her. Rummy drove this to the end for the permit to finally be granted to us. Through thick and thin she'd be there with updates and keeping us in the loop about forms, payments, and any changes she was forced to make, etc. The design itself is beautiful. She's not only talented but honest and dependable. Answers all questions. Rummy knows ADUs and the ins and outs of city permitting headaches and most of all she's loyal to her clients. I didn't know her firm also does builds as well. If only I met them at the beginning I could have saved myself a ton of time and heartache. Highly recommend! Look at her YouTube channel for all of the ADUs she has designed throughout San Diego. https://youtube.com/@iltotaldesign?si=Lh4BJ_pdmOK5OFG9

Worked with Martin at WAABI on a commercial TI improvement. Original designer could not address…read morecity corrections so we hired Martin to redraw the plans and address the city corrections, wish we had found him prior to hiring the first designer. Martin gave us a quick turnaround and his prices were reasonable. Thank you for the help!

Worked with Martin on my permit application process. This was a bit more of a complicated project…read morebut Martin helped me maneuver through it all smoothly. He was super responsive, courteous, knowledgeable, and professional. I would def recommend working with him!

Jeanne is great to work with. Very communicative and her plans are organized and easy to read.read more

Jeanne is an absolute professional who clearly understands her roles and responsibilities. Jean is…read moreintelligent, sharp, and very clear in her communication. I have been very impressed with the thoroughness of Jeanne's work and her follow through to make sure the job is done in a timely manner. Jeanne is also a gem of a person and an absolute pleasure to work with. I also like that Jeanne makes helpful recommendations that I need for my house. Jeanne worked closely with the city to do preliminary historic review of my home and did it exceptionally well. Jeanne also worked closely with the drafter of my home renovation plans and worked very well with him. Overall I am very impressed with Jeanne and I not only recommend her strongly but also plan to use her services again in the near future. We are very fortunate to have Jeanne in SD.

I'm in the process of speaking to DESIGN EVEREST for the first time after communicating only online…read morethrough YELP. I am wanting their company to take my CAD file of an existing house plan and make changes to location of plumbing fixtures, exterior veneer surfaces, location of windows, specifying sizes of doors and etc. I don't have a true evaluation of the company yet but will post another when the work I require is complete and with satisfaction. As of September 2, 2021, has been responsive and that is a good sign.

They provided me with a document that was exactly what I needed for an inspection. They sent an…read moreengineer out very quickly after I contacted them, were super helpful and nice, and made it happen. Thanks!

We built an ADU in Poway and asked ARC Engineers to draw up the plans. They designed a great house…read more All of the contacts at ARC are so knowledgeable and so easy to work with. They get back to you in a timely manner, which isn't always common in the industry. When the city requested changes they quickly got them out to us. We've done a few of these types of projects and by far ARC Engineers has been the best to work with and they are reasonably priced.

Did not provide constructible plans and calcs. we used…read moreAdriel and his team for our large permitted kitchen remodel which included removing a load bearing wall. unfortunately the architectural plans and calcs he provided were not constructible because he did not adequately survey our structure (plans showed a footing where there was none, and there was a load bearing beam in the house not shown on the plans). He declined to correct these errors without additional payment. Having lost trust in ARC, we sought the help of another engineer, who was great and was able to correct these errors so construction could proceed. Sadly the whole ordeal caused months of delay, during which time we couldn't live in our house.